During a breast augmentation procedure, many of the supportive ligaments of the breast, as well as the natural inframammary crease, are disrupted and weakened. Despite capsule or natural scar formation around the breast implant, the weight of the implant coupled with the stretching and loss of elasticity of the skin can lead to an unaesthetic lowering of the implant that may require additional corrective surgery. Additionally, breast implants typically alter the natural breast size and shape. Currently, breast augmentation patients are instructed to wear a supportive brassiere after surgery, but none of the brassiere designers, manufacturers, and/or vendors has developed a brassiere to meet the unique needs for this population of women.
The natural shape of a woman's breasts prior to a bilateral augmentation mammaplasty has a “teardrop” profile with a gentle concave downslope extending from below the clavicle to the nipple. The shape of the inframammary (under the breast) fold of the natural breast has the shape of a flattened semicircle. This flattened semicircular fold is representative of the shape of the similarly shaped underwires used in constructing the known types of brassieres.
The shapes of the cups of conventional brassieres are typically conical. A conically shaped brassiere cup does not comfortably accommodate the hemispherical shape of the augmented breast formed by the underlying breast implant. Conically shaped cups typically are tight around the base of the augmented breast, and the rounded bust point of the augmented breast does not fill out the “tip” of the cone leaving excess unattractive fabric in this area, nor is the bust point supported. Although conventional brassiere construction works well for the majority of women who have not augmented their breasts, the known types of brassieres do not provide for the augmented breast shape and related chest wall relationships or the additional support required by a woman with augmented breasts.
The typical augmented breast has a somewhat hemispherical shape, and a convex downslope extending from below the clavicle to the nipple. Additionally, the augmented breast has a relatively smaller base diameter on the chest wall when compared to a natural breast of equal volume. This is the reason many women with augmented breasts have a wide cleavage or medial distance between the breasts. Additionally, the inframammary folds have been lowered. The bust point, or nipple, also has a greater anterior projection than that of a natural breast, and the inframammary fold is now a true semicircle in accordance with the circular shape of the round breast implant.
Current brassieres provide poor support and fit for the woman who has undergone a breast augmentation. For example, after a breast augmentation, a women that is properly measured and should be wearing a 32D brassiere typically cannot find a properly fitting brassiere because this breast size is not a common natural breast size. Such a women is forced to wear a size 34C brassiere due to the adequately sized, although not optimally shaped, underwire provided thereby. However, the brassiere band is too large and breast support is transferred to the shoulder straps resulting in discomfort to the wearer over time. Further, the cups of available brassieres, which are not shaped for augmented breasts, fail to provide appropriate fit to augmented breasts which leads to discomfort and inadequate support.
In conventionally constructed brassieres, the center front connector between the cups also is not wide enough for proper fit on a woman with augmented breasts. The connector typically bowstrings between the augmented breasts and is raised off of the chest wall thus diminishing the brassiere's cantilevered support system. The brassiere cups and breasts are thus forced medially toward center front. Consequently, the cups and underwires are distorted, the cleavage is deepened and the brassiere appears unattractive and too tight. There should be no space between the center front section and the chest wall in a properly fitted, comfortable and attractive brassiere that offers the full benefit of a cantilevered support system. What is needed is a center front connector that eliminates the above-mentioned problems and ensures proper fit, comfort and support for the breasts.
The currently available brassieres do not, therefore, address the specific structural and anatomic needs unique to the growing population of women with breast implants. There is no brassiere that is specifically designed for the shape, size, and relative placement of augmented breasts. The need has thus arisen for a uniquely designed, supportive, and attractive post surgical brassiere for women who have undergone breast augmentation.